


The Search for the Lost Land of Lyonesse

by The_Wolf_Of_Winter



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Mature for Language & Violence, The games are rated M so I should keep it the same, Tomb Raider AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-09-29
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:42:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26028169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Wolf_Of_Winter/pseuds/The_Wolf_Of_Winter
Summary: Infamous archeologist, Emira Blight, learns the legend of England's very own Atlantis. With her brother Edric and their new found companions, marine biologist Viney  and geological oceanographer Jerbo. Together they race to discover the secrets of Lyonesse before a new rival cooperation, the Coven of Emperors, can use whatever secrets beneath the waves for their own nefarious purposes.
Relationships: Amity Blight/Luz Noceda (minor), Emira Blight/Viney
Comments: 15
Kudos: 58





	1. The Catacombs of Sir Michael's Mount

**Author's Note:**

> Then rose the King and moved his host by night  
> And ever pushed Sir Mordred, league by league,  
> Back to the sunset bound of Lyonesse—  
> A land of old upheaven from the abyss  
> By fire, to sink into the abyss again;  
> Where fragments of forgotten peoples dwelt,  
> And the long mountains ended in a coast  
> Of ever-shifting sand, and far away  
> The phantom circle of a moaning sea

“You find it yet Em?” Edric’s voice came through the earpiece paired to her walkie. Emira grunted as she reached her fingers to hold the speaker button down.

“I’m a little preoccupied here Ed,” she strained as she returned her grip to her climbing axe.

“Right. Sorry. Just let me know if you make it down safe,” he said.

“Will do, going dark.” She continued her descent, pointedly ignoring the catacomb walls were a combination of human remains and concrete. She’d seen death before, caused quite a bit herself, but there was always something unsettling about exploring a tomb. Especially knowing that the hollow eyes and gaunt faces were possibly the last thing she’d ever see. She took a deep breath, knowing that the morbid thoughts would only distract her.

Emira kept climbing down the rock face until she reached a point where her feet were inches away from dangling in open space. She surveyed her surroundings, clicking her torch a few times for maximum brightness. She craned her neck around to both sides to make sure she wasn’t missing anything. To her left was another suitable stalactite to grapple onto. She unhooked one axe from the wall and reached her arm out in preparation, her legs tensing for the inevitable. 

She pushed sideways off the wall, through the air, and onto the next wall. Only one axe hooked in, sending her back slamming against the wall. Her ribs and spine screamed at her as she twisted back around to wedge the other axe into the wall. She panted heavily as she took a moment to recover, blinking the sweat that had dripped from her forehead out of her eyes.

She continued down the stone until she reached the bottom. She jammed an axe into the wall, pulling on it to test its sturdiness. Satisfied that it would hold her weight she unscrewed the carabiner that attached the long coil of rope to her belt. Removing the axe’s safety strap around her wrist she looped and tied the rope tightly through the opening at the bottom of the axe and repelled down to the deteriorating platform below. 

There was a sickening crunch of bones shattering under her feet as she landed. She almost gagged as the smell of mildew and salt hit her nose. Breathing deeply through her mouth, she tugged on the rope a couple times until the axe came free, clattering down onto the stone ledge, the sound echoing around the cavern. Shrieking followed suit and the flapping of a thousand tiny wings.

“Shit!” she muttered, dropping to the floor as a black cloud enveloped the cavern. She threw her hands over her neck, closed her eyes, and curled up, desperately trying to avoid being bitten or scratched. She had been through hell and back, putting her body through the most grueling of tasks, she would not be taken out in a dark cave because she got rabies or histoplasmosis. When the bat based cacophony finally calmed down she opened her eyes.

“Bloody hell!” she reared back. The jawless skull stared up at her silently, the top had a jagged hole in the side. Irritated she stood up and brushed herself off, glaring at the offending bone once more for good measure.

She was finally able to make out the dark floor about thirty meters down, if she was wasting her time she was about to find out. Across from the shelf there was another climbable wall, Emira took a final deep breath as she backed up until she was pressed up against the wall. She broke into a sprint and leapt off the ledge, axes at the ready.

Her impact cracked the stone and she watched in horror as it crumbled. She frantically climbed down, ignoring the shards of rock that were pelting the top of her head and back. Her heart pounding as she desperately searched for a stable outcropping. As she rapidly approached the end of the slate she spotted a handhold to her right. Without hesitating she lept and grabbed the mantle with her bare hands, thankful that she had remembered to reattach the safety strap.

Her feet dangled haphazardly so she didn’t revel in her small victory. She shimmied her way across the ledge, rotating ninety degrees with it to finally have a panel to put her feet on. Her arms were aching as she took a hold of an axe one at a time and fastened herself to the wall. She once again repelled down into the open air once again, only fifteen meters to go. 

She swung her body forwards and rocked backwards, trying to generate as much momentum as possible to reach the next wall. Finally she was able to fix her other axe to the wall and clung there as she pulled the other free. Looping the rope around her arm, she jammed the axe into the wall.

Finally her feet hit the solid stone ground, she doubled over with her hands on her knees, fighting to catch her breath. Her labored gasps echoed off the walls mockingly.

“Edric are you there?” she asked, pressing her earpiece. Silence greeted her and she narrowed her eyes. “Ed, you clot, if you don’t answer soon I swear to God I’ll hang you.” 

Still no answer, Emira figited nervously. It was common for trouble to follow them, it was practically in the job description. But there was always a small part of her that would be terrified that Ed would get taken from her again.

“Jesus sis, brutal,” her brother finally answered. She pressed two fingers to her temple and massaged it angrily.

“You were the one who wanted me to check in!” she growled. She heard his tired sigh on the other end.

“Yeah I did. I was just busy,” he said exasperatedly.

“What could you possibly be busy with that is more important than this right now?” she questioned, irritation heavily seeping into her voice.

“I was on the phone with Amity,” he said carefully.

“Oh,” Em said quietly, her heart dropping. “How is she?”

“You’d know if you’d answer her calls,” he said softly. “She doesn’t hate you Em.”

“But she blames me, and she’s not wrong, I got Lilith killed,” she said bitterly.

Their first adventure was supposed to have gone down cleanly, but the Dragon’s Triangle had other plans. Emira still had nightmares of the S.S. Hexside being torn apart by the storm and her hand slipping out of Lilith’s grasp sending her plummeting into the frothing sea.

“You and I both know that wasn’t your fault,” he sighed. “We were just inexperienced kids when Yamatai happened, you managed to save us and Camilia which was a feat in itself.”

“That doesn’t bring Lilith, Matt, Skara, or Captain Bump back,” she muttered gravely.

“No it doesn’t but you can’t focus on that right now, we’re still here and we have a job to do,” he said, his tone left no room to argue.

“Fine… Give me a minute to look around.” she moved the light of her torch chamber. There was nothing obviously peculiar with the room, towering smooth walls and floors with merging types and colors of various rocks. Keeping an eye out for any ancient traps, she brushed her hands along the damp walls, looking for some sort of clue. When she stepped in an ankle deep puddle of sea water is when she knew she found it. On the wall was an engraving of an old English family crest, it was badly faded but the depiction of a horse rising out of the water with a knight’s helm on top was unmistakable.

“Trevelyan’s crest,” she exhaled. “Ed, I got something.” She began to repeatedly slam her axe into the wall, prying the rocks apart until a small underwater tunnel was revealed.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Oh you know, the basic underwater entrance,” she said flippantly.

“What is it with ancient blokes and secret underwater passages?” he chuckled.

“Dunno, you’d think they’d stop recycling the same ideas,” she smirked. “Going dark.”

She hooked her gear to the respective places on her belt and unlatched a small, portable scuba tank and mouthpiece attached to the top. Fixing it in her mouth, clenching her teeth to keep it in place, she waded into the tunnel, until she was neck deep. Taking a final deep breath through her nose, she fully submerged herself.

She swam through the dim tunnel, holding her hand over the mouthpiece when she needed to take a staggered breath. She could barely make out the decaying wooden arches hidden behind a cover of barnacles, the sea floor was just a carpet of seagrass and algae. She came to the end of the tunnel to see a large, circular stained glass window with a jagged crack running down the center.

Taking a shallow breath she curled her hands around one side of the thick glass. Kicking her legs and twisting her torso, she managed to worm her way through the opening. As she removed her hands from the glass, one of her palms caught on a particularly sharp fragment. Dark crimson rose around her palm, she took a sharp intake of breath at the surprising pain. She clenched her fist, hoping for the wound to clot on it’s own, knowing full well she couldn’t properly treat it underwater.

She entered the vast chamber, looking around stunned. Deteriorating wooden pillars with arches stretching between them stood horizontally through the room, the remains of candelabras and chandeliers were tarnished and rusted, broken church benches were rowed orderly on the floor. At the far end there was an old organ, many of its pipes rested on the floor nearby, a large cross adorned the wall and looked over the whole cathedral, and finally on the altar was a small chest.

It almost appeared as if the church was frozen in time. The only thing that gave away that it was centuries old was the long strands of kelp that left cracks in the ground and grew to the very top of the enormous room. Schools of fish made themselves at home, darting around the church pews and through the organ pipes. 

As she swam towards the little chest, she was able to make out the distinct lack of detail on the simplistic box. It just looked like the stereotypical medieval chest except no bigger than a lunchbox. But the room itself was so ornate that the box not being the same was suspicious.

She reached out to take the box, her hands shaking as she hesitated, it was a tomb after all. Not seeing any other option she lifted the chest off the altar, deciding against opening it just in case. Content that nothing was amiss she began to swim back to the stained glass window.

As she squeezed herself the opening back into the small passage the whole cavern began to rumble dangerously. Emira kicked her legs furiously as the glass and wood splintered around her. The walls shifted, making the already narrow cavern positively claustrophobic.

She sucked in a sharp gasp as a falling boulder scraped its way down her front, watching dumbfounded as it caught on the small scuba tank, yanking it down to the shadowy depths. Just her luck.

She held her breath as she clawed her way out of the passage. The room unexpectedly shifted again and a boulder wedged itself above her, leaving a small sliver to squeeze through. She planted her palms on the top, pulling her stomach in as far as she could manage, using her forearms as leverage. She squirmed violently, her lungs screaming and spots dotting her vision. She scrambled until she was able to get her hips past the boulder, air bubbles floated around her as she finally came free.

Emira could feel the exhaustion spreading lethargy through her limbs, she felt lightheaded and her vision was swimming, she didn’t have much time. She began to lose hope, but the shimmering light appeared above her along with the ripples of the surface. Just a little further, she had to hold on.

She exploded above the water, crawling onto the flat rock ground, choking. She flopped gracelessly onto her back, sucking in gulps of oxygen gratefully.

“Christ Em, are you alright?” Ed asked frantically over her walkie.

“Just… peachy,” she wheezed as Edric gave a relieved laugh.

“There was just a strange surge of seismic activity… Which was totally your fault,” he deadpanned. “You took something again didn’t you?”

“Well yeah, what else was I supposed to do?” she scowled.

“Fair point,” he said. “Can we please get some dinner, I’m dying over here.”

“Yeah Ed, whatever you want,” she chuckled.

“Sweet! I know just the place.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys I can’t even begin to describe the amount of external research I’ve put into this fic, like I’m not making up any of the ‘quest’ stuff, it’s all based off real Arthurian legends.  
> I really hope you guys enjoy this but as my M rating states it will be getting much darker, it’s Tomb Raider after all. I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts and don’t worry you’ll meet this worlds Viney soon!  
> -Wolfe


	2. The Secret Under Brown Willy Hill

“Mmmmmm, this mfeally goodf,” Em raised a disgusted eyebrow at her brother. Edric was shoveling the plate of ham, eggs, sourdough bread, and grilled mushrooms into his mouth like a starving man. They had stopped in Marazion, the town closest to the sometimes peninsula that Sir Michael’s Mount resided on; it was a quaint, seaside Tudor style town. Tourists had already swarmed to nearby attractions leaving Ed and Em to have a peaceful brunch, away from prying eyes and interruptions.

“Ed you’re twenty-two for God’s sake, close your mouth. You’re spitting crumbs,” she snapped, moving her research away from him. She had opted not to eat, her stomach already churning with an excitement that would’ve made it impossible to keep down anything solid.

“Fworry,” her twin muttered, swallowing. “What have we got so far?” Emira sighed and pulled the waterlogged chest out of her backpack, gently placing it on the table. She studied the ancient padlock carefully, the metal was so rusted there was no way to touch it safely. She carelessly unrolled the silverware from a cloth napkin and discarded it haphazardly. She wrapped the cloth around her hand and tugged at the lock forcefully, not at all surprised when it broke. 

She lifted the chest lid and peered inside, furrowing her eyebrows. She pulled out a circular slate. It was engraved intricately with a castle being swept away by a tidal wave, the scene was framed by a mouth of a lion, it’s canines poking out and mane was flared out majestically

“All of that for a stupid peice of rock?” Ed exclaimed, pouting at the tablet in Emira’s hands.

“It’s not stupid, you’re stupid,” she shot back, grasping the meaning of the slate before Ed. “It’s a clue you ninny!”

“Fine! But how the hell do we figure out where it leads?” he growled. Em slid her research back over to him.

“Back in Arthurian times Lyonesse was said to be a thriving country, surrounded by an immense forest that protected its many towns and capitol. It was said to be the birthplace of King Arthur’s wife, Guinevere, but a mysterious flood wiped it off the face of the map. There was only one survivor, a man named Trevelyan, who rode his white horse to higher ground.”

“What caused the flood, these dumb things always have a cause,” Edric gripped, they had been through too much history to think any differently.

“Well the story is mostly told through a Christian perspective, claiming that God had sent the flood because the citizens had strayed too far into sin. Trevelyan only escaped because he stayed faithful,” Emira muttered, furrowing her eyebrows once again.

“You think there’s more to it then?” her brother asked, she nodded.

“Lyonesse wasn’t just the birthplace of the queen, it was also where Arthur had his final battle with his son Mordred,” she glanced up and quickly took note of Edric’s lost expression. “Arthur’s father married a widow and had him. The widow already had five kids, most notable for our purposes are Morgause and Morgana, but that’s for a little later. After Arthur grew up he had an incestious fling with Morgause and ended up having a child together, that’s Mordred.”

“Ugh, that’s just plain nasty. What is it with royal families and incested?” Ed groaned.

“Honestly I have no idea, people thought it was socially acceptable I guess,” she said with a noncommittal shrug. “Moving on from that revolting relationship, Morgause was a sorceress, nowhere near as powerful as Morgana, but her son was killed on the battlefield so it’s possible that she caused the flood?”

“Do you really believe that?” Ed raised an eyebrow, Emira sighed.

“I know it’s a reach, but after Yamatai, Kitezh, and Paititi, magic has proven itself to be integrated into our world somehow. It’s also a more concrete theory than any other we have.”

“I suppose that’s fair, but that doesn’t help us with that,” Edric gestured to the slate resting on the table.

“Well the legends say that Trevelyan had to get to higher ground to escape, the highest hill in Cornwall is in the Bodmin Moor,” she said, throwing a meaningful look at her brother.

“Ugh of course it was mother and father’s favorite place to take us as children, I hated hiking Brown Willy Hill with a passion,” Ed sighed, exasperated.

“When you weren’t complaining you were laughing at the goddamn name,” she smirked at him. “Mittens complained less and she was four.” Edric pouted at her and childishly stuck out his tongue. It was hard to believe that a little over a year after that hike two gunshots had rangout in the Blight Manor sending all three siblings running to their parents' study. The police had said it was a murder/suicide. Emira never forgot the way her mother looked crumpled by a bookcase and her father’s body hanging limply over his desk, blood dripping from his skull and forming a puddle on the carpet, revolver grasped in his hand. On their last adventure, Ed and Em had discovered that the murders of their parents were actually orchestrated by a rival archaeologist, an egomaniac who wanted to remake the world in his image.

“I’ll get us a car then,” Ed said, pulling out his phone as he walked away from the table. Emira gathered her notes when a shiver ran down her spine, her head shot up as she looked around the small breakfast place, no one was around but the cashier and waitstaff, who were all congregated around a small television watching the recaps of a football game. She eyed them wearily but went back to packing the satchel, but the sinking feeling of being watched didn’t cease.

**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~_ **

“Fuck this,” Ed heaved, throwing himself down onto a large boulder. Emira looked at him skeptically, they’d been walking uphill for a little less than an hour, Brown Willy was only four-hundred and twenty meters tall, it was practically a brisk stroll in the park for Em.

“You absolute baby, it’s only a five kilometer walk,” she chided, not in the mood for her brother’s antics.

“ _Only_? We’ve been walking forever, I’m done. I’ll wait for you here,” he cried dramatically. Emira rubbed her temples aggravatedly, only stopping when a devious idea struck her.

“That’s fine, just keep an eye out for the Beast of Bodmin,” she shrugged casually, desperately trying to hide her smirk.

“The beast of what now?” she watched as her brother’s eyes darted from side to side panickedly.

“Oh mother and father never told you? It’s this big phantom panther, with glowing yellow eyes and has horribly mutilated the local livestock,” Edric gulped. Sure there were legends of a beast, with over sixty sightings, but it was quickly debunked that it was a simple black cat and a prankster that caused all the trouble, but Emira wasn’t going to tell Ed that.

“Oh would you look at that, I’m suddenly full of vigor. Let’s get to the top of this thing,” he marched ahead of her and she held back a chuckle.

With the pace doubled, they reached the summit in less than fifteen minutes and surveyed the landscape. It was a simple landscape, full of yellowing grass and rocks wedged into the ground. What caught her eye was the asymentical pillar of rock next to a man made cairn. There was a circular hole near the bottom, Emira rummaged through her bag and pulled out the slate. She walked over and held the tablet over it comparatively, before sliding it in with a small click.

The ground beneath them began to rumble and the twins stumbled back. The pillar sant beneath the soil and the hill split open, sending pebbles tumbling down the stone stairs now revealed.

“Supplies check,” Emira said meaningfully, kneeling down. She pulled out her tool belt and clipped it around her waist. She drew a pistol out of her bag and slipped it into the holster on her thigh. Edric on the other hand had dropped his duffle carelessly and pulled out an arsenal of weapons. He stuck a pistol of his own in a waist holster and strapped a shotgun to his back and an assault rifle to his front, pocketing numerous ammunition clips. He tossed her an AR of her own and more carefully drew out her bow and quiver when she sent him a disgruntled look. She also secured her AR to her front, strapping the quiver to her back, and slipping the bow over her shoulders. Emira used to think the amount of weaponry they brought was overkill, but she quickly understood that it might not even be enough in some cases.

The twins gave each other a nod and began their descent into the hill, quickly flicking on their respective torches as it grew darker. The tunnel itself was fairly plain, cobblestones lined the walls and ceiling, occasionally there would be a metal holder with a torch that at one point could’ve lit the passageway.

Finally the stairs ended at a simple wooden door once again marked with Trevelyan’s crest. Pushing open the door the twins shined their torch beams around the room, both gasping in awe. The room itself was circular, with grand stone arches lining the room, on the far side was an old fireplace that obviously hadn’t been used in centuries, but what was most impressive was the marble table in the center of the room that was rooted into the ground. It was obviously fashioned after King Arthur’s own round table, complete with old red leather on the wooden seats. A massive chandelier spiraled down to the floor in the open center of the table, melted candles were placed purposely along it making it even more spectacular. 

But what really caught her attention was the glint of steel on the table’s far side. Emira gently nudged Ed and pointed, the both slowly drew towards it. Soon enough she could make out a dagger standing upright in the faint lighting. It pierced not only through the marble but also through a yellowing parchment. The twins stood behind it, shining the full brightness of their torches on the paper. It was ancient and faded but the three images were conveyed clearly. The first was of Lyoness being swept out to sea and Trevelyan riding his steed away, then was a map of the larger ancient UK showing a tidal wave sweeping far past the Isles of Scilly, and the last was of the ruins of what once had been the city against a ridge. In the bottom corner was a small, handwritten set of numbers that Emira had to squint to be able to read, 

“Forty-nine and negative thirty,” she breathed out. “Archaeologists have been looking in the wrong place!”

“No shit! It’s almost as if they hadn’t found it yet,” Ed deadpanned.

“Well screw you dumbass, it’s not like you could do better,” she glared at him.

“Uh obviously I did better cause I found it,” he exclaimed.

“What so you mean  _ you found it _ ,” she growled. Opening his mouth Edric was about to respond when the click of a rifle loading stopped him.

The sibling’s gazes snapped up to see that their exit had been fully blocked by strangely clothed, but fully armed, men. They wore white body armor and their faces were obscured by plague-doctor masks, all were armed to the teeth with guns and grenades. 

In the doorway stood three figures; the one on the left looked much like the other mercenaries, face hidden and white armor, but he had to be triple the size, his bare arms almost purple from all the veins that protruded out of his skin. On the right was a tiny woman, her mouth was covered by the collar of her white jacket, her navy hair was short and pulled back into a tight bun, her bangs flopped over one eye covering it completely. And the man in the middle made Emira one hundred times more uneasy than the other two combined, instead of armor he wore a white cloak, rimmed with gold and black, on his chest was a golden pin that looked like a triangle with a winged circle in its center. He wore a golden mask with a long, pointed chin and two horn-like pieces stretched out of the sides and straight towards the ceiling. What was even more disturbing was the fact that the eye sockets were pitch black.

“So this is the infamous Emira Blight, can’t say I’m impressed,” the man with the gold mask said, causing Em to immediately zero in on him as leader.

“Oi asshat, what about me?” Ed cried next to her, glaring at the man who remained expressionless.

“Control your sidekick,” he said calmly. Emira put a hand on her brother’s shoulder giving him a look that she hoped conveyed to shut the hell up.

“You know me, but it seems I know nothing about you,” she said unwaveringly. 

“I am Emperor Belos, head of the Coven of Emperors,” he said,gesturing around to his soldiers. Emira narrowed her eyes,

“Last I checked the only Emperor left is in Japan and he doesn’t have jack in the power department,  _ Belos _ ,” she spat out with a smirk. The woman next to Belos lurched forward, only to be stopped by the delusional man.

“Leave her be Kikimora, after all we have this nonbeliever to thank for this discovery,” he spoke smarily.

“Let me guess you want to use whatever the hell is in Lyonesse for your own evil purposes?” Edric drawled, rolling his eyes.

“I will unite the world with this power you insolent child! I will make everything better, no more homelessness, no more sickness, no more war,” Belos growled. The twins made eye contact and started to chuckle.

“But with you in charge right? We’ve heard it all before you megalomaniac,” Emira smirked. Quick as a whip, she drew her pistol from it’s holster and fired at Belos. The twins dropped behind the table a second before the gunfire started. 

“General Wrath! Take care of these imbeciles,” she heard Belos growl, she peered over the top of the counter to see where her bullet landed. A crack in Belos’ mask was made, with the bullet visibly lodged just underneath the eye. But what was most disturbing was the electric blue eye that seemed to glow in the dark that was now revealed. The Emperor and the tiny woman, Kikimora, excited quickly leaving the ridiculously muscular man and the armed guard of about twelve. 

“Cover me,” she grunted to Ed, not waiting for his response as she army crawled around one side of the table toward the General. She heard the thudding of bodies all over the room and prayed that one of them wasn’t Ed, she almost went around the corner when she caught sight of a guards boots. As silently as she could manage she drew her knife and uncliped a climbing axe from her belt. She got into a crouching position and lunged around the corner, sinking the axe into the man’s spine and impaling his neck with the knife. She lowered him onto the floor and continued unfazed.

She took down two more men as she made her way for Wrath, until she was right behind him. She pulled off the AR, but as she snapped the clip in and aimed, the General whirled around knocking it out of her grasp. They grappled, Emira managed to get the hulking man to let go of his own weapon by kneeing him in the groin. The gunfire around them was drowned out by the adrenaline roaring in Em’s ears as she fought an opponent five times stronger than her.

General Wrath finally overpowered her, knocking her to the floor with his hands grasped firmly around her neck. He squeezed and Emira choked, feeling as though her eyes were about to pop out of her skull, the sudden lack of air was dizzying. Her vision swam as she desperately tried to shove the behemoth off of her, but what strength she had was rapidly failing.

“I’m nobody’s goddamn sidekick!” Edric yelled, somewhere off to her left. The loud ringing of gunfire was the precursor to the spray of bullets that forcibly knocked the General off of her, his blood soaking into her clothes and in her hair. But she was too busy taking desperate gulps of air to care.

Edric walked over to the dying General, the feeble wheezing was the only other noise in the caven. Without hesitation her brother fired a final round into the skull of General Wrath.

“You ok sis,” he asked after the echo of the gunshot finally subsided, she nodded as she shakily stood.

“Yeah I’m good, let’s get the fuck out of here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while since I've updated this baby, but here we are with this lore dump. I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter and don't worry, you'll meet Viney and Jerbo (who are also the same age as the twins) in the next one. I know this fanfic is no where near as popular as my other one just yet (maybe not ever) but I'm super proud of it and really enjoy writing the concept.  
> So as always leave me a comment and maybe even a kudos to let me know how you guys feel about it, I'll always take any feedback you guys give me!  
> -Wolfe


	3. Enlisting Help Outside the Family

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Em asked nervously. A few hours after their confrontation with the Coven, had found someone who was semi-qualified to guide them on their journey to forty-nine, negative thirty. They had packed up all their gear and hightailed it to the meeting spot on Tresco. Abbey Garden was filled with exotic plants, ship figureheads, and old cannons. The twins sat on a bench in the shade as they waited, Edric’s arms rested behind his head as he reclined where as Emira was on the edge of her seat, scanning the lingering tourists for any signs of a threat.

“Well can you drive a submarine?” Ed asked, opening one eye as his sister got up and started to pace.

“No… But it couldn’t be that hard right?” her brother sighed and gave her a deadpan look.

“Em, relax. Belos may be a crackpot but he wouldn’t risk attacking in public, especially in broad daylight. Sit back down, you’re making me dizzy,” he said, closing his eyes once more. Emira scoffed but did as Ed asked and returned to her seat next to him. “Besides if it makes you feel any better he’s going for his Masters degree in Uni. He definitely doesn’t have time for any of this cult shit.”

The information didn’t comfort Em in the slightest, she was less worried about an inside agent, but instead getting an untrained civilian killed. People around her didn’t have the best survivability chances, it was best if she went solo, or maybe even with her brother, but not with strangers.

Soon a pair approached them, a man and a woman, looking to be similar age to the twins. The man towered above Emira by at least a head, hell he was even taller than Edric. But whereas Ed was more athletically built, the dark haired man was lanky, seemingly a little frail. It was almost as if he was only skin and bones. Dark brown eyes and a pale, gaunt face added to the skeletal illusion Emira was building in her head. But even still he wasn’t an unattractive person, but she could tell by the way he carried himself that he valued his intelligence more than his looks.

The woman next to him however, was stunning. She was much shorter than the towering man, and still shorter than Emira herself. She was also a brunette, her hair tied back into a messy bun, with her bangs hanging just over her eyes. And God, her eyes were striking. A mossy-emerald color that held a weighted intelligence to them, as if she had seen hardships and determined her own solution. To top it off a splash of freckles across her cheeks, a button nose, her upper lip was fuller than the bottom, but it fit her face in the most amazing way, and she had a silver fish hook earring in her right ear.

“Emira and Edric Blight?” the man asked, a nervous smile playing across his face. Ed’s eyes popped open and Emira watched as he put on the well rehearsed charming smile that always seemed to put others at ease.

“That’s us! Jeremy Boyce I presume,” her brother said pleasantly, Emira resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him.

“Call me Jerbo,” he said, his accent distinctly American. The woman next to Jerbo cleared her throat and gave the tall man a meaningful look. “Oh, this is my… associate, Viney Griffin.”

“Nice to meet you,” the brunette said simply, but the way she eyed the twins wearily gave away her apprehension. It was obvious that she had only accompanied Jerbo for safety, which Emira whole heartedly respected.

“So I heard you could pilot a sub. Are you licensed?” Ed directed his question back to Jerbo. 

“No, I’m not,” he shook his head. “My dad was in the Coast Guard and he got one, I had him teach me at every opportunity I could get. I’m pretty familiar with the process on any machine, I can take you wherever you need to go.”

“Which is where exactly,” Viney asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Forty-nine degrees North, negative thirty degrees West,” Em replied evenly, she may not like the idea of involving a stranger, but they were racing against the clock.

“That would put you somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic,” Jerbo said as Viney asked, “What’s so important that you hired college kids, not professionals?”

Em and Ed exchanged a look, saying it was classified would inevitably end up with the duo walking away, but the truth wasn’t much better.

“We’re archaeologists, there’s a potential discovery out there and we’re trying to get to it before a rival… company,” Emira said.

“And besides, uni kids are way cheaper!” Ed said enthusiastically, Em elbowed him in the ribs with a fake smile directed at Viney and Jerbo. “He’s joking.”

“I’d love to help you guys, really I would, but I don’t have a submarine to get you there,” Jerbo reluctantly said, Emira thankful that he ignored her brother’s comment.

“Oh that’s no problem,” Ed chuckled, mirth dancing behind his eyes. “We have one.”

“We do?” Emira whispered to him.

“Yeah, father got mother one for her birthday. I had it updated last year,” he muttered, eyes never leaving the two brunettes in front of them.

“Alright then, and you’ll pay what you promised even though I’m not licensed,” Jerbo asked, lowering his voice to avoid any tourists overhearing.

“I’ll double it if you don’t ask anymore questions,” Ed said, winking at the boy. Jerbo nodded, despite the visible displeasure of the girl at his side.

“Seriously Jerbo?” Viney muttered. “I’m going with you then.”

“Absolutely not!” Emira cried out as Ed said, “Fine, but I’m not paying you.”

“Your offer is kind Ms. Griffin, but I assure you whatever skills you possess are not necessary on this expedition, the less people the better,” Emira said, ignoring her brother’s comment.

“If he goes I go,” Viney deadpanned, Jerbo nodded from her side, resolutely. Emira sighed and looked at Ed who shrugged impartially. They needed a driver, immediately, but having a civilian who wasn’t vital to the operation was risky, no matter how attractive and interesting they were.

“Fine, but we’re not liable for anything,” Emira huffed.

“And seriously, I’m not paying you,” Edric added.

 **_~~~~~~~~~~~~~_ ** ********

“Damn this is way nicer than the military’s!” Jerbo marveled, running his hand over the controls. “How’d you get your hands on this?”

“Easy, capitalism,” Ed said with a flourish, taking a seat next to Jerbo.

The sub itself was small, only containing the cockpit with the control panel and four seats, similar to a car. The engine was in the back encased with only a propeller exposed, and there were to arm like mechanisms in the front. Behind the seats there was a small storage hatch which the Blights had filled with scuba tanks in preparation. They had also fitted Jerbo and Viney in wetsuits before putting on their own, insisting that it was just in case.

“You guys should be in Uni, how the hell do you have so much money?” Viney grumbled, taking a seat behind Jerbo, leaving the final seat for Em.

“We inherited most of it, some came from museums who bought or borrowed artifacts from us,” Emira casually said, not wanting to relive the death of her parents anymore than she already had. She closed the transparent hatch to the cockpit and settled in, Ed gave Jerbo a thumbs up to start their journey.

“How have you guys not blown through it all?” Jerbo asked flicking a switch as the engine whirled to life

“We didn’t get access to it until Em and I turned eighteen, we were sent to boarding school during the year, and in the summer we went to dig sights with a friend of our father. She basically taught us everything we know,” Ed said tightly, glancing to his sister who stiffened and avoided eye contact. Viney narrowed her eyes at Emira, obviously picking up on the abrupt tension now lingering between the twins.

“What happened to her then?” Viney asked directly, as if she were testing them.

“She’s dead,” Emira muttered, her shoulders slumping.

“There’s more to it then that,” Viney insisted. Emira sighed, Lilith was a wound that never healed, the guilt had ripped it’s way through her since the day of her mentor’s murder.

“Three years ago, Ed, our sister, and I were accompanying our father’s friend, Lilith, and a few others on an expedition into the Devil’s Triangle near Japan in hopes of finding the remnants of Yamatai. A hurricane came out of nowhere and we ended up crashing on an island. We all got separated, Ed was with the other crew members, Lilith was on her own, and I managed to find our sister, Amity,” Emira exhaled shakily. “Turns out we did find Yamatai, but it wasn’t anything that we had ever expected. Things went to shit really quickly, Amity was kidnapped by a cult group who called themselves the _Solarii_. Lilith got attacked by wolves and screwed her leg up really badly.”

“We also got kidnapped by the cultists, but we were apparently less useful than Mittens and got stuck in a cage above a ravine until Em rescued us,” Ed added, throwing a look of pity towards his sister.

“At that point I thought they were still down at the beach near the shipwreck, so I went to rescue Amity with Lilith. There was a bridge with too many guards to take on myself, Lilith provided covering fire while I climbed underneath. I was able to free Amity but we got separated in the chaos and I managed to get back to Lilith, but I was followed. She took a hatchet to the back for me, she died a couple minutes after,” Emira lamented. “Eight of us landed on that island, only four of us made it out.”

“Sounds like anyone caught with you has a pretty low survival rate,” Viney rebuked. Edric’s eyes widened and Emira felt tears sting her eyes. Amity had said the same after Lilith’s death, Em couldn’t blame her, or Viney for that matter, for making that connection, after all she had been the last to see each of the deceased alive.

Viney’s expression softened as she watched a tear roll down Em’s cheek, shocking the taller girl when she reached over to brush it away. Her fingertips are soft, Emira idly thought as she found herself enveloped in gorgeous green eyes.

“I know it’s not the same but my mom died when she gave birth to me, my dad was devastated but worked three jobs to support us. I used to want to be a doctor, to make sure no one’s mother died like mine,” Viney murmured.

“What changed your mind?” Em asked, entranced by the other girl, in a way no one had ever done before.

“It’s kind of dumb,” Viney chuckled. “After school I used to go to the beach to do my homework. When I was twelve I saw a figure washed up on the beach, turns out it was an orca. A small one at that, they had to be a baby. Since they were so small I was able to help guide them back into the ocean. It was strange too, it was almost as if even though they were a baby they still knew I was trying to help them. After that day I decided to get a degree in marine biology, I got a scholarship to Bangor University and never looked back.”

“Did you guys meet at Uni then?” Ed asked, more so directed at Jerbo than the girls in the back seat. 

“Yeah, I’m going for my degree in geological oceanography. Since our majors were similar we had a fair amount of classes together,” Jerbo answered, not taking his eyes off the seemingly endless ocean in front of them.

“What did you name the orca,” Em blurted stupidly, cursing herself internally for sounding so incompetetant. Thankfully Viney just chuckled, her eyes twinkling in amusement, “I named them Puddles.”

The group was silent for over an hour, watching bubbles and occasionally various fish pass by unti Viney broke the silence, nudging Em.

“This sounds really bad but you said Lilith was covering you on that bridge right?” she asked, Emira nodded sagely unable to predict where her question might end. “There’s no way to say this gently but I have to know, have you killed anyone?”

“Yes,” Em said, stone faced. “My first was a man named Vladimir, he’s one of the few where I knew his name. They were searching for me and other survivors at one point, and he was one of the guards stationed to watch us. I was able to escape but I wasn’t able to get far, he pressed me up against a wall and tried to kiss my neck, with the barrel of a pistol against my head. I bit and tore his earlobe off and kneed him in the groin to get him off of me, thankfully he was so surprised he dropped his gun.”

Em watched Viney’s expression carefully before continuing. “We wrestled for the gun for a moment and I was able to turn the barrel towards him and pulled the trigger before I could hesitate. It was one of the biggest shocks I’ve ever had, the fact that I had just killed a man and the implications of what could’ve happened to me if I didn’t.” 

“You did the right thing,” Viney said, her expression was steely. “It was him or you and thank God it wasn’t you Emira.”

A strange warmth surfaced on Em’s cheeks and her heartbeat picked up just like it did when she was in a fight or climbing. No other human had ever made her feel so off balanced in her life, yet Emira couldn’t bring herself to hate the strange new feelings that were coursing through her.

Emira knew then that no matter what happened on this adventure would go down as one of the most monumental in her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jerbo and Viney are finally here! What do you guys think of them in this universe? Hopefully not too OOC from what we were given in cannon. The Blights in this AU went through some crazy shit, and a lot of people died, Viney definitely understood the dangers of associating with the twins way more than Jerbo did. I wanted there to be some difference from my other fic as well, starting with Em and Viney having this type of tension fits this story more then if they had immediately hit it off, but don't worry, they're kissing in one of the last two chapters if it kills me! This chapter had a lot more heavy subject matter than I usually like to write about so I hope I handled it in a way that was tactful.  
> As always let me know your thoughts and if you guys have any suggestions I'd be happy to try to fit them in!  
> -Wolfe


	4. The City in the Lion's Maw

_Emira’s vision blurred as she came to, her ears ringing. Lilith’s face swam as she mouthed something at Em. Emira shook her head in an attempt to clear it._

_“Come on… That’s it, that’s it,” Lilith’s voice was muffled as she shook the younger woman. Emira coughed, inhaling gulps of labored air. Lilith looked over her shoulder, her eyes wide and desperate. The dark haired woman hooked her arms under Em’s and hauled her up, hobbling frantically away from the fiery crash._

_"Come on!” Emira was paralyzed, she could feel her consciousness slowly regaining as her memory came back at a glacial pace._

_A blinding flash of orange seared the hair of her arms as Lilith and herself were thrown away from the helicopter wreck. A spike of pain shot through her body worse than any bullet as her back collided with the forest floor. Emira felt her eyes starting to roll back into her head, Lilith scrambling over to make sure she stayed awake._

_“Come on, Emira!” Lilith rasped, hauling Emira to her feet. Em wrapped her arms around the steady woman, her chin resting on Lilith’s shoulder. A fear coursed through her veins as she watched a man rushing towards them, shotgun at the ready._

_“It’s them!” Emira cried, frantically. Lilith grip tightened as she drew her pistol, pivoting on her heel to shoot the man in the chest. Three more emerge from the trees, two more gunshots ring out and the sounds of bodies falling to the ground like a sickening sack of bricks._

_The leader of the attacking Solarii cult was the only one left. Piniet was a lizard like man, dressed in a thin, dirty, white cloak. A hood covering his bald head, a stretched out grey v-neck that hung at the base of his ribs showed off the layered ritual charms. He raised his arm, rusty hatchet in hand, and hurled in their direction._

_Lilith realized what was happening a split second before Emira. The younger woman was abruptly shoved out of Lilith’s arms. Time slowed as Emira fell. She watched helplessly as the hatchet lodged itself into Lilith’s spine with bone crushing force. The raven haired woman stumbled forward with wide eyes, but managed to stay on her feet._

_"NO!” more gunshots rang out as Lilith was able to pick off the Solarii reinforcements, Piniet had already fled into the cover of the trees. Lilith stumbled into a sitting position, her eyes dimming. Emira crawled over to her with tears in her golden eyes._

_“Lilith! Please! I can’t do this without you,” Emira choked on her tears._

_“I’m sorry Emira, I’m so sorry. You can do this, you have to. You’re a Blight,” Lilith croaked. Lilith’s pale hand moved her pistol into Emira’s hands, weakly curling her fingers around the weapon. Giving Emira a final grim nod her body slumped forward, eyes closing. Emira scooted closer to her, sobbing into Lilith’s shoulder as she listened to the labored breathing fade away completely._

_Blood soaked into her shirt and onto her hands, but Emira couldn’t bring herself to care. Nor could she bother caring about the pounding of feet rapidly approaching her._

_“No… NO!” a shrill shriek pierced the solem quiet. Emira withdrew and backed up as Amity flung herself to Lilith’s side. Gently laying Lilith on her side, Amity leaned over the fallen woman with tears rolling off her cheeks._

_Edric threw his arms around Emira as he took a seat next to her. “Are you okay Em?”_

_“Is she okay?” Amity asked in disbelief, her eyes narrowed and her jaw set. “Because it’s all about Emira, isn’t it? Have you forgotten that she’s the reason we’re here?”_

Emira awoke with a sharp gasp, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. The lights in the submarine’s cabin flashing wildly and the noise of Jerbo flicking levers panickedly was present. 

“What’s going on?” Viney cried, leaning forward to see the control panel.

“I-I don’t know! It’s like the motor just stopped responding! But we’re still moving at high speeds,” Jerbo exclaimed. Ed and Em exchanged a look, at this point the sudden disaster was just routine for them, they thrived on crisis.

“Do you think it’s some type of current?” Edric asked, deadly calm. Viney and Jerbo looked at him nervously, obviously bewildered by how unperturbed he was.

“It’s possible, I’ve never encountered one so strong before!” Jerbo said, his eyes darted back to the murky ocean before them. The current was pulling them into a ravine, the bottom was blurred deep blue and the rocky sides were eroded in a way that it was smooth, yet uneven. 

“Where in the right place,” Emira said, pulling open the storage hatch and went to work on preparing scuba gear for each member of the ragtag exploration crew.

“Are you insane? There’s no way we can go out there!” Viney yelled, her eyes wide.

“Do you think we have a better chance in here?” Emira yelled back. “ What do you think will happen when we reach a dead end?” Viney glared at her for a moment, the air between them flooded with tension, until she finally nodded and pulled on the gear.

The end of the ravine was rapidly approaching and they scrambled to secure their gear. Jerbo pressed the button to open the hatch, the sub shuddered, but nothing else.

“The water pressure is too high!”

“Move out of the way!” Emira drew her climbing axes, tossing one to Ed, they began to slam the blunt end to the acrylic plastic. It splintered and cracked, small spouts of water poured into the sub. Both twins shoved their shoulders into the plastic, water beginning to rush into the cabin. With one more well timed hit, there was finally any opening that they could fit through, the submarine finally filled with water.

Scrambling through the hole the group went one by one, the sub getting closer to the stone ledge. Emira was the last out and propelled herself away from the machine, watching in unsurprised horror as the submarine slammed into rock.

Emira had an almost overpowering urge to laugh, as crazy as it may make her look. Just her luck. She made eye contact with Ed from across the channel and sensed he was thinking the same. The group was scattered across the waterway, the closest to her happened to be Viney.

She began to close the gap between but stopped dead as she watched Viney widen her eyes and make a frantic stopping gesture. Emira tilted her head, puzzled. The brunette pointed above her with a shaky finger. As Em craned her neck towards the surface a gliding shadow passed over her, freezing her blood instantly. _Shit_.

Emira watched the predator circle above her, it’s size and white underbelly was a dead give away as to how screwed she was. Great White. Emira locked eyes with the shark as it passed, way too close for comfort. The golden eyed girl wracked her brain for any information she had on the predator, turning up blank.

Emira Blight had fought everything from cultists to bears to immortal guardians, she had survived every encounter and she’d be damned if she was killed by a damn shark. She drew her knife from her pocket and gripped it with anticipation. She tracked the overgrown fish and nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a presence next to her.

Intelligent mossy eyes greeted her own startled ones. Viney motioned for Emira to put the knife away. Em gave her a _you have got to be shitting me_ look to which her only response was an eyeroll. She watched curiously as Viney stretched, making herself look as big as possible. The brunette elbowed her in the ribs and held out her hand. Emira took it gingerly, securing the knife back at her side.

She followed Viney’s lead and puffed herself up, eyes focused on the shark. She watched in amazement as the shark began to back off and swim off in the other direction. She felt Viney squeeze her hand causing Emira to drop it in red faced surprise. That was certainly unexpected.

She pried her eyes away from the other girl in a bizarre combination of excitement and embarrassment. Her fleeting gaze landed on Ed and Jerbo who were huddled around something. Kicking her legs and reaching her arms out to push herself over to the boys.

When they got closer Ed shrugged and moved aside, revealing a small opening in the rock mantel. Emira poked her head in unceremoniously and looked around, eyes adjusting to the darkness. Only one way to find out where it leads.

Flicking on the small torch fixed to a strap on her wetsuit she swam in, pleasantly surprised when she could fit easily. The beams of her companions' lights followed her as they swam through the seemingly endless tunnel, a giddy feeling building inside her, they were getting close, she could feel it.

Finally the passage opened into a grand cavern, very obviously man-made. The immediate floor was made out of decaying wood with a stone stairway leading up to a platform. On the wall was a circular carving on the wall above the stone dias, a lion with its jaws stretched open to reveal a city being washed away by a tsunami. This is it.

Emira looked around quickly, eyes zeroing in on the gears on one of the pillars that was just barely visible. A cluster of rocks had settled at the base of the pillar Emira noticed as she drew closer. She swam over and started prying the rocks away from the gear. Jamming the blunt end of her climbing axe into the metal of the gear and began to crank. The wooden panels on the floor began to rumble, sliding and splintering into the stone, but jamming. A boulder came loose from the ceiling and rabidly sank, coming to rest in front of the small tunnel entrance.

Emira grit her teeth, shoving her weight into the axe and began to crank it again. The bottom stair lifted and the wooden panel slid underneath, revealing a large grate. The cavern slowly began to drain of water as the group watched in awe. At the room's lowest point there was only water up to Emira’s knee. 

Slipping off her scuba gear and tossing it to the side she walked over to where Ed dropped their supplies. While the others stripped of their gear, Emira carefully slung her bow and quiver over her shoulder. She edged her pistol into its holster and tossed her AR to a surprised Viney.

“I have no idea how to use this, you know that right?” the brunette rolled her eyes, catching the gun warily. “Not all of us are globe trotting swashbucklers.” 

Ed nudged her with a smirk, “It’s easy, just pull the trigger and good things happen.”

“You mean mass murder…” 

“Good for us,” Em glared at her brother, they both had a tendency to forget that most people’s realities didn’t involve fighting for their lives.

“Look guys,” Em sighed as she drew both of the uni students attention to her. “We’re stuck together until we get out of this. The only way out is through and you’ll want to be armed.”

“Who are you?” Jerbo asked. “You're not your run of the mill archaeologists.” Emira and Edric exchanged looks, having an intense silent debate. 

“No we’re not,” Emira solemnly muttered. “We go after the artifacts that know one believes in.”

“What are you? Some underdog artifact finder?” Viney scoffed.

Ed smirked, “Em that has got to be our new brand name. Screw tomb raiders, we're underdog artifact finders now.” Em deadpanned at him, not in the mood in the slightest.

“Well damn everyone’s a critic,” he grumbled. Then he whisper-shouted to the others, “You know she used to be fun, hard to believe I know. We used to pull the most epic pranks back in boarding school.” Emira rolled her eyes, the girl she was then didn’t know the difference between loss and sacrifice.

“Ed’s just mad he’s my sidekick,” she snickered. Ed stuck out his tongue and flipped her off.

“Excuse you, I am a vital part of this team,” he exclaimed indignantly, dramatically putting the back of his hand on his forehead in a mock faint.

“You two are literally insane,” Viney said, pinching the bridge of her nose. Both twins gave her matching crooked smiles.

“Probably,” Em shrugged. Walking over to inspect the stele once again she shimmed the beam of her torch around.

“E-Em,” Jerbo tapped her on the shoulder. She raised an eyebrow at him as he pointed to a narrow ledge near the top of the cavern. Inhaling deeply she thanked Jerbo and pulled out her climbing axes.

She made her way to the base of the wall and lodged an axe into the jagged rock. Hoisting herself up the wall she eventually came to the base of the ledge. She felt around for a sturdy handhold and hooked her axes to her belt when she found a suitable one. Reaching on hand up and back, towards the edge of the shelf, she tensed her muscles in preparation. Simultaneously she let go of her handhold and pushed herself off, grabbing the border of the mantle with one hand. Swinging herself back into the underside of the rock, she rested her feet on the bottom and stretched her other hand to grip the edge. Using all the arm strength she possessed, Em pulled herself onto the top of the ridge.

Shining her torch around she had to squint to see a small stone button no button, no bigger than a two pound coin. She hesitated weighing her options, pushing buttons in a cavern that was prone to collapsing was not the best of ideas. On the other hand they were trapped as it was, and they had come too far to turn back now. There was too much at stake.

Gently she pressed the circle, watching it retract and fall away. The chamber rumbled ominously, Emira stumbled, dropping to her knees to avoid falling. 

“Em what the hell did you do!” Ed shouted. Just as suddenly as the tremors began they ceased, the carving of the lion shuddered and began to roll over, revealing a sliver of light from the other side. The opening was just wide enough to squeeze through.

Unlooping the rope from her belt, she tied the end to one of her arrows, silently thanking Ed for remembering to pack the sturdiest ones. Unslinging the powerful compact bow from her shoulders, she notched an arrow. Closing one eye to aim, Em drew back her arm, taking care to make sure the string was pulled taunt. She let the arrow loose, whizzing through the air, until it reached its destination in the opposite wall, about two meters above the ground. She tied the other end of the rope to another arrow and forced it into the wall behind her.

Giving it an experimental tug she unclipped one axe. Putting it over the rope she grabbed either end and pushed herself off. Ziplining through open air she tucked her knees in and began to judge the timing. She let go and dropped into a roll, absorbing the worst of the impact. Brushing herself off she couldn’t help the little thrill that ran up her spine when she saw that Viney’s gaze was set intently on her.

She bowed dramatically, pleased with the uproarious applause from Edric and the tentative one from Jerbo, happy that she was able to mask her flushed face.

“Damn Em is this what you do when I’m not around?” Ed smirked walking over to help her free the arrow.

“You’re almost like a spy!” Jerbo bounded over to them excitedly, Viney trailing behind him with a ghost of a smile on her face.

“You are off your rocker Emira Blight,” Viney said, a strange affection bled into her words that made Em’s heart race. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear bashfully, giving the brunette a genuine smile.

“I suppose,” she shrugged. “But we seem to have bigger issues than my mental state.” Pointing to the opening in the wall the Emira took a step forward, it was time to find out why Belos and his coven were so determined to find this place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Halfway there! Sorry this chapter went up way later than I wanted. I honestly couldn't figure out how I wanted to start it and I scratched a ton of stuff because it didn't feel right. But I finally decided on the flashback/dream and I am finally proud enough to post it. Also Amity! Hopefully she isn't to OOC, but this is before she met Luz so I feel like it's probably more in character. Also the plot required it for the ending I have planned so I'm not mad.
> 
> Please don't hesitate to let me know what you guys think! This has been super fun to write and I'm honestly really excited for the next one. No spoilers though! As always thank you all for the kudos!
> 
> -Wolfe
> 
> P.S. No sharks were harmed in the making of this chapter. Animal fights are a reoccurring theme in the games so I felt obligated to include one.

**Author's Note:**

> For clarification purposes and to draw parallels from the 2013 game:  
> Emira Blight based off of Lara Croft  
> Edric Blight based off of Jonah Maiava  
> Amity Blight based off of Samantha Nishimura  
> Lilith Clawthorne based off of Conrad Roth (deceased)  
> Camilia Noceda based off Joslin Reyes  
> Mattholomule based off of James Whitman (deceased)  
> Skara based off of Alex Weiss (deceased)  
> Hieronymus Bump based off of Angus 'Grim" Grimaldi (deceased)  
> If you're at all unfamiliar just google these characters, especially the deceased ones, and I imagined their stories basically the same in this AU as in the games


End file.
